Stranded dog on a log is saved by passing sailors from Royal New Zealand Navy

The stranded dog was stuck on a floating log following a storm (Picture: Facebook/Royal New Zealand Navy)

Sailors in the Royal New Zealand Navy made an unusual rescue when a dog floated up to the side of their boat.

The lucky pooch was spotted by the crew of the ship Hawea as they made their way through Smokehouse Bay, east of Auckland, after heavy storms earlier this week.

Able Seaman Combat Specialist Filipe Latu noticed the animal standing on a floating log and immediately asked his commanding officer if he could perform a rescue.

ASCS Filipe Latu spotted the dog and was granted permission to enact a rescue (Picture: Facebook/Royal New Zealand Navy)

‘There was significant debris in the water and on one large log floating by was this poor helpless dog,’ he was quoted as saying on the Navy’s Facebook page. ‘I would hate to think how long he was there.’

ASCS Damien Willis makes a new four-legged friend as the crew welcome the dog aboard (Picture: Facebook/Royal New Zealand Navy)

The vessel launched one of its inflatable boats to perform the rescue. The stricken dog was more than willing to clamber aboard.

The dog was handed over to a local who knew its owner (Picture: Facebook/Royal New Zealand Navy)

The dog was taken ashore, where the sailors found a person who knew the dog’s owner.